“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” now running at Stagecrafters Theater, grabs your attention from the get-go. A dead dog with a pitchfork in its torso lies on center stage. A boy lies weeping by its side as six silent, somber people surround him. The lights go dark.

The boy is 15-year-old Christopher, accused of murdering “Wellington,” the neighbor’s dog. Christopher sets out to solve the crime, donning the mantle of Sherlock Holmes, whom he admires for his emotional detachment. The solution plunges you into a deeper mystery, and you are gripped in suspense until the surprise ending.

Playwright Simon Stephens adapted “Curious Incident” in 2013 from Mark Haddon’s controversial bestselling novel of the same name. Though Christopher seems to be on the autism spectrum, Haddon has insisted his character is just a mathematics genius with behavioral issues. But “if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then ...”

Christopher shuns direct human contact, preferring to hug dogs and his pet rat “Toby.” He refuses to look people in the eye, and yelps in pain when touched. When distressed, Christopher curls into fetal positions and moans, then recites paroxysms of math sequences to gain self-control. This is more than a math genius with a behavioral problem.

As Christopher, L Bryce Welborn’s performance on opening night drew a huge ovation. While you can see how he distresses his parents, Christopher is an endearing figure. He is incapable of telling lies, and his odd field of perception is full of charm and humor. You see the world as he sees it. You also see what Christopher cannot see.

“Curious Incident” is a popular play that has enjoyed many community theater revivals. At Stagecrafters, Welborn’s performance is a big reason for the show’s sparkle. Other reasons have to do with the other actors and the inventive staging of director Bridget Dougherty, assisted by her large production crew.

Lulu James is Siobhan, Christopher’s mentor at his “special school.” Siobhan sometimes reads from the journal Christopher is writing. Brian Scott Campbell plays Ed, the boy’s father, with palpable anguish. Britt Fauzer is Judy, the mother. Desperate in a different way, Judy is more inclined to take decisive action.

The actors who play the “Six Voices” take on special importance. In surreal fashion, they often surround and menace Christopher, impeding his movement while barricading themselves inside a carapace of boxes and shields. In these scuffles, you feel Christopher’s terror of an outside world he cannot understand.

While the Six Voices perform as an ensemble, they also step into individual roles, some serious and some comical. It is an added confusion that makes you see the world in a way more akin to Christopher’s bewilderment. (Six Voices: Jordan Neff, Greg Kwoka, Stacy Skinner, A.J. Krier, Nina Vitek, Kelci Schlierf).

Director Dougherty also uses a large video screen that extends over the entire rear wall. It is a delicious touch. All night, a bizarre and colorful string of images lights up the screen, a scattering of isolated facts, events and comically precise clarifications.

This playful gambit mimics Christopher’s mind, immersing you in his world. You literally see the world as Christopher sees it, streams of observable facts that lack ordinary connection. The mystery of Wellington’s death is resolved, and, to top it off, there is a plausible happy ending. You could call “Curious Incident” a comedy, but indescribable may be the better word.

Stagecrafters is located at 8130 Germantown Ave. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” runs through June 28. Tickets available at 215-247-8881.